Roy Orbison: From Sun Records to Monumental Hits
When Elvis left Sam Phillips’ Sun Records in 1956, Roy Orbison stepped in with his band, The Teen Kings.
Heavily influenced by Elvis, Roy initially had an energetic, rockabilly performance style—far from the image he would later become known for: standing completely still in dark sunglasses, delivering emotionally charged ballads.
As internal conflicts grew within The Teen Kings, Roy began shifting focus towards songwriting, pitching his material to other artists. Sam Phillips wasn’t particularly impressed with Roy’s voice—he apparently preferred his guitar playing.
By the early ’60s, Roy left Sun and signed with Monument Records, where he truly found his sound. In 1961, he released his debut album, which included two standout tracks: I Can’t Stop Loving You (a cover), and Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel), which Roy co-wrote.
Only The Lonely was a massive hit, reaching #2 in the U.S. and #1 in the U.K., making Roy Orbison a household name overnight.
Sensing an opportunity, Sam Phillips quickly released Roy’s early rockabilly recordings, which were still under contract with Sun—there was nothing Roy could do to stop it.
His next album, Crying (1962), featured the powerful title track written by Roy, which again charted well. Don McLean would later cover it, charting even higher. The album also featured covers of The Great Pretender and Love Hurts.
In 1963, In Dreams followed, with the haunting title track and Blue Bayou, a song that would later become Linda Ronstadt’s signature tune in 1977.
Then, in 1964, Roy released his most iconic single, Oh, Pretty Woman. The original mono version topped charts worldwide. A year later, Orbisongs (1965) included a stereo version of the track with slightly altered lyrics.
By 1967, Roy released Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson, an album entirely made up of Don Gibson covers.
Although he would go on to release many more albums, the hits began to fade. One notable moment came in 1969, with a cover of Unchained Melody featured on Roy Orbison’s Many Moods.
The Big O’s Farewell: From Class of ’55 to End Of The Line
In 1970, Roy released The Roy Orbison Way, an album entirely made up of Hank Williams covers. Standout tunes included Hey Good Lookin’, Jambalaya (On the Bayou), Your Cheatin’ Heart, Cold, Cold Heart, and I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.
That same year, he released The Big O, which also leaned heavily on covers, such as Help Me Rhonda (The Beach Boys), Money (Barrett Strong), and Land of a Thousand Dances (Wilson Pickett).
By 1972, Roy was still in cover mode. On his album Memphis, we find I Fought The Law and Danny Boy. The following year, he released versions of Words (Bee Gees), You Don’t Know Me (Ray Charles), and Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond).
For the next decade, Roy continued to release albums, though without any major hits. Still, one can only imagine how powerful his live shows must have been—filled with his own iconic songs and these legendary covers.
In 1986, Roy joined his first supergroup: Class of ’55 alongside Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins. It was a tribute to Elvis and the Sun Records era, with John Fogerty contributing a song as well.
Then in 1989, Roy posthumously returned to the charts with two massive hits. You Got It, from his album Mystery Girl, was co-written with Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. The second was End Of The Line, recorded with his second supergroup, the Traveling Wilburys, featuring George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne.
Tragically, both of these songs were released after Roy’s death in December 1988, when he suffered a heart attack at just 52 years old.
Roy Orbison Tunes | Related Pages
End Of The Line | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play End Of The Line by the Traveling Wilburys using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| D D/A | D | D A | G |
Well, it’s alright, ridin’ around in the breeze…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: End Of The Line (Traveling Wilburys) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
I Fought The Law | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play I Fought The Law by The Clash using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| D5 | G5 D5 | D5 | A5 D5 |
Breakin’ rocks in the hot sun, I fought the law and the law won…
Money (That’s What I Want) | Chords + TAB
Learn how to play Money (That’s What I Want) by Barrett Strong using chords, lyrics, a backing track, a chord chart, and Spytunes video guitar lessons
| F N.C | N.C Bb C |
The best things in life are free…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Money (That’s What I Want) – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Oh, Pretty Woman | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Oh, Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| A | F#m |
Pretty woman, walkin’ down the street…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Oh, Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Roy Orbison on the web
